Rail re-layer



E- A. MOE

RAIL -LAYER 6 ShGetsQs 1 Filed July 22, 1949 ATTOREY March 9, 1954 E. A. MOE 2,671,414

RAIL RE-LAYER Filed July 22, 1949 e Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

BY J ATTORNEY E. A. MOE

RAIL RE-LAYER March 9, 1954 '6 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed July 22, 1949 II III (ll/Il E. A. MOE

RAIL RE-LAYER March 9, 1954 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed July 22, 1949 INVENTOR. EarL A. Mae.

ATTOREY March 9, 1954 Filed July 22, 1949 E. A. MOE

RAIL RE-LAYER 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 9, 1954 UITED FFICE 8 Claims.

1 This invention relates to rail layers often more properly identified as rail re-layers inasmuch as they usually operate on one laid rail of a track to re-lay new rail at the opposite side of the track.

The handling of rails in railway track maintenance operations is a multiple manpower and laborious undertaking from the very nature of the length and weight of the rail section which makes it awkward to handle by track crews. Rails are usually made in lengths of thirty-nine feet or thirteen yards, and in present practice weigh anywhere from 80 to 155 pounds to the yard. Thus, an apparatus for handling rails must be in itself heavy and substantial.

According to present practice, rails are laid by a locomotive crane which includes trucks traveling on both rails of a track or by rail layers or rail re-layers of the type which include a boom or derrick mounted on the chassis of a vehicle having a pair of aligned main wheels for en gaging one rail of the trackway while the side of the chassis opposite said aligned wheels is usually provided with rollers adapted to be sup ported on a skid. In this type of layer the skid may be a specially provided beam supported inside of the gauge line of the rail to be laid, or it may be a short section of old rail. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to push the vehicle by hand from one rail laying position to another. Quite obviously, the movement of the heavy machine by manpower from one rail position to the other is a laborious and time consuming operation. Moreover, in placing the ve hicle initially upon the track to be operated upon, or removing it therefrom, it is necessary for the side of the chassis opposite the rail engaging wheels to be lifted or raised by manpower while being manually pushed onto or ofi of the laid rail of the trackway.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a self-propelled track layer in the respect that it may be moved under its own power from one rail position to another without special skids or short railsections and without manual efifort. In that connection, the present invention also facilitates the mounting of the vehicle on the trackway or its removal therefrom since being self-propelled, when it is desired or required to remove the vehicle from the trackway, it can be moved to another track under its own power, with the aid of set-off device provided for that purpose, or its equivalent. In that connection, it may be observed that heretofore the rail layer vehicle has been provided with a power-driven winch for operating iii) 2 the block and tackle for lifting and otherwise manipulating the rail to be laid, and it is the purpose of the present invention to selectively utilize the same source of power for operating the winch to operate the means for propelling the vehicle over the trackway.

Another object or the invention is to provide a self-propelled rail laying vehicle which, according to the preferred embodiment, may be propelled along the trackway by an endless tread unit having tractive engagement with the ties, or, alternatively, according to another embodiment of the invention said endless tread unit may function as an idler while the aligned main wheels of the chassis are power-driven. In either case, the vehicle as thus constituted eliminates the use of skids to movably support the side opposite the aligned wheels.

A further object of the invention is to provide the rail laying vehicle with auxiliary rail engaging wheels or guides which may be raised out of track engagement when the vehicle is being transferred from one track to another or removed from the track, and, on the other hand, may be moved down into engagement with the same rail with which the aligned main wheels of the vehicle normally engage, and in alignment therewith, when the layer is operating along the trackway or in a rail laying operation, thereby to act as stays or braces to prevent derailment and also assist in maintaining the vehicle in proper rail gauge alignment during both its power-driven movement and the rail laying procedure.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for towing the vehicle, when the occasion arises, on both rails of a trackway, said means comprising a so-called towing wheel and towing connections on the chassis of the vehicle, the said towing wheels, when in use, holding the chassis elevated at one side and thus lifting the endless tread type unit from the track structure to permit the vehicle to be freely towed on the towing wheel and the main wheels at greater speeds and over longer distances than would be possible by utilizing the self-contained powerdriven traction means whether it is in the form of the endless type tread unit, or the aligned main track wheels.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a practical and efiicient endless treadtype unit wherein the dead weight of the vehicle is transmitted directly to the tread rather than to the propelling instrumentalities therefor, as for example when the unit is being used as both a traveling support and a propulsion device.

With the above and other objects in view, which will more readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

A preferred and practical embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the rail laying vehicle as it appears in rail laying position;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the vehicle shown in Figure 1 taken from the opposite side of the trackway shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a front elevation of the vehicle shown in Figures 1 and 2, the trackway being shown in section;

Figure 4 is a front elevation similar to Figure 3 showing the vehicle in towing position;

Figure 5 is a detail side elevation of the endless tread-type propulsion unit;

Figure 6 is a vertical cross sectional view of the unit shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a detail vertical sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a front elevation of a modified form of the vehicle wherein the main track engaging wheels are pow-er driven and the traveller device acts as an idler;

Figure 9 is a detail top plan view, partly in section, illustrating the prime mover means which is common to both forms of the invention, although specifically illustrated in connection with the construction of Figure 8.

Similar references designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

As will be seen from Figure 1, the rail laying vehicle is adapted to operate on a trackway designated generally as T, including the usual ties,

and what may be conveniently termed a laid rail R with which the vehicle normally cooperates to assist in the laying of a new rail upon the tie plates T laid in gauge alignment at the side of the trackway opposite the rail R.

The vehicle includes in its organization a frame or chassis designated generally as A, having at one side a boom or derrick B which in turn is medially supported at the other side of the chassis by the framework C, the said derrick including a lifting block and tackle D and E, respectively, the block carrying suitable rail engaging tongs D. The tackle E is preferably in the form of a chain which may be wound and unwound upon a drum or winch designated generally as F and which is operated by a self-locking worm drive gearing through clutch mechanism designated generally as G. The said clutch mechanism is powered by a motor M supported on a platform H laterally offset from the side of the chassis which rides on the laid rail.

As will also be seen from the drawings, the platform H may be provided with an operators stirrup or perch I which includes a footrest and frame members pivotally mounted at K On the platform so that the said stirrup may be swung vertically to an inoperative position, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 4, when the vehicle is being towed. The portion of the derrick or boom adjacent the platform H and the platform itself may be provided with lifting handles L and L', and, likewise, the frame C which supports the boom may also be provided with manual lifting instrumentalities in the form of the bar L and the lever L The chassis A is provided at one side with a rail gripping device N for locking the vehicle to the laid rail R during a rail laying operation. This gripping device is, of course, released when the vehicle is moved along the trackway as in shifting from one rail position to another or in removing the device from the trackway.

In the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings, the chassis A is supported on a pair of traveler units, one of said units includes a pair of aligned main wheels i-l adapted to engage the laid rail of the track and the other of said traveler units U is intended to engage the ties or roadbed. It is within the scope of the invention to drive the vehicle through either unit.

According to Figures 1-7, the main wheels [-1 are idlers and the vehicle is propelled through the unit U which is preferably of the endless tread type. This unit is suitably secured to the underside of the chassis A to properly support the vehicle relative to the rail and ties, as clearly shown in Figure 3. That is to say, when the unit U is power driven its endless tread is intended to have tractive engagement with the ties of the track and said unit is located within the gauge distance of the track and inside of the position of the rail to be laid.

As will be seen from Figures 5 to 7, inclusive, the unit U preferably includes a pair of side frames 2-2 which may be of channel formation, as shown, with their channels facing outwardly. The upper and lower flanges of the outer side frame are provided with aligned keeper openings 2a and 2b for the purpose hereinafter indicated. At the rear end of the frames 2, there is provided an idler sprocket 3 mounted on shaft 3a for receiving one end of a chain 4 provided with the tread elements 5. The forward end of the chain 4 is supported on a power driven sprocket 6. This sprocket is journaled in the frame members 22 at a fixed location while the sprocket 3 is adjustably journaled in the frame by means of the bolt tensioning device 3b, as shown in Figure 5, in order to keep the chain taut with reference to the driving sprocket 6. Said driving sprocket 6 is mounted on a shaft 1 having at the inner end thereof a sprocket gear 8 engaged with a flexible driving element or chain 9 whose upper end is trained over a sprocket gear Ill carried by a drive shaft ll. As shown, the driving chain 9 may be enclosed in a suitable protective housing.

Before proceeding with a description of the means for driving the chain 9, it may be pointed out that the endless chain 4 which carries the thread elements 5 is so mounted and arranged between the frame members 2-2 that the chain itself does not bear the load or weight of the machine. This is accomplished by supportingly engaging the bottom reach of the chain 4 on a plurality of idler rollers 4 which are journaled on shafts 4 mounted in the side frames 2-2, the horizontal plane of the shafts 4 being below the shafts 3 for the idler sprocket and the shaft 1 for the driving sprocket 6. It will thus be seen that the idler rollers 4 by engaging the inner faces of the tread members 5, support the load or weight of the machine, leaving the driving sprocket t and its connections to the shaft ll free to utilize fully the power supplied to the shaft H.

As illustrated in the drawing, more particularly in Figure 3, it will be seen that the shaft H is journaled at one end in a bearing H and is also "journaled near its other end in a suitable bearing 12 beneath the platform H. The end of the shaft opposite the sprocket l]! is provided with a driving sprocket I3. This sprocket 'in' turn is engaged -by a chain I4 trained over a driving sprocket 15 of part of the clutch mechanism G associated with the motor M.

As previously indicated, the prime -mover or motor M may be of any suitable type, preferably a gasoline engine or motor which may be alternately used to actuate the drum or winch F to control the block and tackle D and E, or to move the vehicle.

The sprocket I5 is mounted on ashaft l6 journaled as at I"! on a frame l8 'slidably mounted on the platform by the slot and bolt arrangements 18-'l 8 The said. shaft '16 is keyed to a cone type clutch member 19, as will be seen from Figures '3 and '9. The member I9 constitutes the means which receives driving power from the motor M. That is to say, "the motor M is providedwith a shaft '20 continuously driven while themotor is "in operation. Thus, the shaft 29 constitutes the primary driving shaft, and is provided thereon, in spaced relation, with cone clutch elements 21 and '22. These elements 2' and 2.2 are spring urged "against suitable thrust hearings to be normally out of contact with the clutch element 19 and the clutch element '23 which drives the winch or drum F. As shown in Figure 9., all parts of the clutch are in neutral position.

Referring first to the means for driving the cone clutch member [9 by the motor, it will be observed (Fig. 9) that when it is desired to transmit power from the motor to the drive shaft Ii (Figs. 1-7) the sliding frame IB is shifted b the operators control lever I 8 (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) so as to shift the element 19 into engagement with the clutch member 22 to cause the shaft H to rotate to drive the shaft H in such a manner as to propel the vehicle in one direction, while, if it is desired to move the vehicle in the other direction, the operator will move the control lever [B in the opposite direction and thus slide the frame It! on the platform so that the cone clutch element ['9 disengages cone 22 and engages the cone "2!.

For the sake of clarity of description of the operation, it may be pointed out at this time that when it is desired to control the "block and tackle of the lifting boom, the cone clutch element 23 may be engaged alternately by either of the clutch elements 2| or 22. As will be seen from Figure '9, adjacent each of the thrust bearings on y the shaft 2t, there is provided a grooved shifting collar of conventional form, the sam being respectively designated as H and '22. These collars are engaged in conventional manner with links 22 which in turn are connected with the slotted ends of a yoke :memberZfi operated by a control lever 22. Thus, if it is desired to rotate the drum in one direction or the other, the lever 22 is shifted in the appropriate direction to make either the cone 2:] or the cone 22 engage 6 pay out or :takezon chain Eto :raise or "lower the block D and the tongs 'D'.

Referring to the modification shown in .ZEignre '8, it will be understood that the endless tread unit U, as previously described, functions simply as a supporting idler :or traveler since the driving connections a, 9 and ID from the shaft 1 I (Fig. 8) are omitted, and said shaft .liis provided with a sprocket gear .28 engaging sprocket chain 29 which in turn engages a sprocket 39 carried by :an axle extension 3| of one of the track engaging wheels F- of the vehicle. In order to drive the wheel l and permit the unit U to function as an idler support, it is only necessary for the operator, in this modification, to manipulate the control handle 13*, as previously set forth, so as to slide the frame it and bring the cone clutch 19 into engagement with either the clutch cone 2! or 22, all as described in conneo tion with the operation of the shaft H for driving the unit A.

In both forms of the invention, the chassis A is provided with guides, in the nature of what may be termed Outriggers for holdin the wheels 1-4 against derailment and also preventing the chassis from twisting on the wheels during the rail laying procedure. These guides are in the form of triangular frames including angularly disposed arms 33 and 34 connected by a brace 35 at their rear ends, said brace being pivoted to the chassis A as at 3'6. The apex of the arms 33 and 3-; carries an auxiliary flanged wheel 31 for engaging the rail B, when the guides are down as shown in Figures 1 and '2. It will, of course, be understood that the guides are pivoted to the front and rear of the chassis so that when they are swung down there are'two auxiliary wheels 37 engaging the rail R at either side of the wheels I I. When the vehicle is being towed the guide frames are raised as shown in Figure 4., and are held in raised position by engagement with the retainers 33 which may be rotated on their bolt connections 33 to engage the junction of arms 33 and 34 as shown in Figure 4.

The side of the chassis which carries the traveler unit U is provided with a towing wheel 38. This wheel is journaled on a swinging bracket 39 pivoted on a shaft '40 to the chassis so as to move from the inoperative position shown in Figure 3 to the towing position shown in Figure 4. The bracket '39 is provided on the side opposite the wheel with a perforated keeper plate 4| which, when the bracket is lowered, overlaps the bottom flange of one of the channel type slide frames of the unit U. As previously indicated, the top and bottom flanges of one of the side frames 2 are provided with aligned openings 2 and 2 Thus when the perforated keeper plate 4! overlaps the bottom flange; its perforation or opening aligns withv openings '2 and '2 to receive a locking pin or bolt 32, as shown in Figure .4, to rigidly hold the bracket in position to permit the towing wheel 38 to ride on the rail opposite the rail R. In this position, the wheel 38 raises or tilts the chassis to one side to elevate the unit U above the ties and provide towing clearance.

When the vehicle is to be towed, with the parts shown in position of Figure 4, the towing vehicle may be connected to the chassis A by suitable couplings engaging either of the perforate towing lugs 43 or. 44 on the end members of. the chassis.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that. the invention provides a rail laying vehicle which eliminates the laborious shifting or other handling of the vehicle heretofore required and materially accelerates the handling and laying of rail, thereby effecting material economy in track maintenance which is one of the most important phases of railway operation.

I claim:

1. A vehicle for use in re-laying rail on ties in railway trackways, comprising, in combination, a chassis including side and end frame members, a pair of aligned track wheels journalled on one of the said frame members of the chassis to engage and travel on the top of a rail above the ties, a derrick on the chassis, derrick supporting frame members having their lower ends projecting below the side frame of the chassis opposite said track wheels, an endless tread crawler unit including a frame carried by the ends of said derrick supporting frame members which project below the chassis to mount said crawler unit in a position to cause the lower flight of the endless tread to span and engage the ties to maintain the chassis in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the ties, a power plant on the chassis, means for connecting the power plant with the endless tread crawler unit, a tow ing unit pivoted on the side frame of the chassis adjacent the crawler unit and movable from an upright inoperative position to a lowered operative position, and a wheel forming part of said unit and engaging a track rail opposite the rail engaged by said aligned Wheels to tilt the chassis toward said aligned wheels to lift the lower iiight of the crawler tread clear of the ties to permit towing of the vehicle on the track.

2. A vehicle for use in re-laying rail on tics in railway trackways, comprising, in combination, a chassis including side and end frame members, a pair of aligned track wheels journaled one one of the said frame members of the chassis to engage and travel on the top of a, rail above the ties, a derrick on the chassis, derrick supporting frame members having their lower ends projecting below the side frame of the chassis opposite said track wheels, an endless tread crawler unit including a frame carried by the ends of said derrick supporting frame members which project below the chassis to mount said crawler unit in a position whereby the lower flight of the endless tread engages the ties to :7 maintain the chassis in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the ties, a. power plant on the chassis, means for connecting the power plant with the endless tread crawler unit, a towing unit mounted on the side frame of the chassis adjacent the crawler unit, said unit including a bracket pivoted at its upper end on a horizontal axis connected to and parallel with said frame, a wheel carried by the bracket remote from its pivot, whereby when the bracket is swung from an upright inoperative position to a lower operative position the wheel will engage a track rail opposite the rail engaged by said aligned wheels to tilt the chassis toward said aligned wheels to lift the lower flight of the crawler tread clear of the ties to permit towing of the vehicle on the track, and means for locking the bracket to the related side frame of the chassis.

3. A vehicle for use in re-laying rail on ties in railway trackways, comprising, in combination, a chassis, a derrick on the chassis, a pair of aligned track wheels journaled at one side of the chassis to engage and travel on the top of a rail above the plane of the ties, an endless tread crawler unit suspended from the chassis to have the lower flight of its endless tread engage the ties in a plane below the rail head engaged by said aligned track wheels thereby to maintain the chassis substantially parallel to the plane of the ties, at power plant on the chassis, means for transmitting power from said power plant to the endless tread crawler unit, and outrigger members respectively at the front and rear end of the chassis, said members each pivoted to the chassis to swing from an upright inoperative position to a lower operating position, a track engaging wheel carried by the free end of each of said outrigger members to engage the same rail as the pair of aligned wheels when the track layer is in use to prevent derailment of the chassis when the derrick is liftin and re-laying rail.

4. A vehicle for use in re-laying rail on ties in railway trackways, comprising, in combination, a chassis including side and end frame members, means for mounting the chassis to travel on one rail and the ties, said means including a wheel unit carried by one side frame member of the chassis to ride on said rail and a crawler unit supported adjacent and below the other side frame of the chassis and having the lower flight of its tread spanning and traveling on said ties, a derrick having rail pick up means at the end which projects beyond the side of the chassis having the crawler, and means on the side frame of the chassis which mounts the wheel unit for locking the chassis to the rail engaged by said wheel unit to prevent overturnin of the vehicle with the crawler as a fulcrum when the derrick is lifting rail.

5. A vehicle for use in re-laying rail on ties in railway track, comprising, in combination, a chassis including side and end frame members, a derrick comprising elements secured to one side frame member, said elements having their lifting ends disposed above and projecting over the opposite side member, a pair of aligned track wheels journalled ben ath each element of the derrick on the side frame member which supports the said elements of the derrick, said wheels engaging the top of a rail at spaced points above the ties, derrick supporting frame members medially supporting the derrick elements which project over the side frame member opposite the side frame member having the wheels, said derrick supporting members having their lower ends projecting below the side frame of the chassis opposite said aligned wheels, and a crawler unit secured in the included angle between the lower ends of said derrick supporting frame members and the related side frame member to position the lower flight of said crawler unit to engage and span the ties and maintain the chassis in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the ties when the vehicle is in use, said crawler unit being substantially of a length corresponding to the distance between the aligned track wheels.

6. A vehicle for use in re-laying rail on ties in railway trackways, comprising, in combination, a chassis including side and end frame members, means for mounting said chassis to travel on the trackway, said means including a pair of spaced wheels carried by one side frame member of said chassis to ride on a rail, a crawler unit of a length equal to substantially the distance between the spaced wheels and rigidly supported below and adjacent the other side frame of said chassis and having the lower flight of its tread adapted to span and travel on the ties of the trackway, a derrick supported at one end on the side frame carrying the spaced track wheels, and means References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 661,663 Kottgen Nov. 13, 1900 961,532 Reinehr June 14, 1910 Number Name Date 1,255,193 Madden et a1 Feb. 5, 1918 1,445,612 Dobbins Feb. 13, 1923 1,446,784 Carter Feb. 27, 1927 2,077,741 Cardwell Apr. 20, 1937 2,311,304 Lehti et a1. Feb. 16, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 549,544 Germany Apr. 28, 1932 300,724 Great Britain Nov. 22, 1928 OTHER REFERENCES Railway Engineering and Maintenance Cyclopedia, Seventh edition, published by Simmons- Boardman Publishing Corp., Chicago, Illinois, pages 358 and 359. 

